DECISION ON BRCKO STATUS MUST BE RESPECTED - SFOR

SARAJEVO, Feb 14 (Hina) - The NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina called on the authorities of the Moslem-Croat Federation and the Serb entity on Friday to abide by a decision of the international arbitration commission on the status of Brcko regardless of its content. SFOR expects all parties to comply with and fully implement that decision, SFOR spokesman Andrew Saddleton told a news conference in Sarajevo. He said that the NATO peace force was taking all necessary steps to keep the peace and prevent incidents in the Brcko area. The SFOR command warned that it would not tolerate any hostile acts against its troops, and said that SFOR soldiers had clear instructions what to do to protect themselves. Discontented Moslem refugees warned on Thursday that they would return to their homes in Brcko en masse and called on SFOR not to create any obstacles. A spokesman for the office of the international community's high representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Duncan Bullivant, said on Friday that after the announcement of the arbitration decision in Rome, big-power Contact Group representatives would travel to Sarajevo to meet for talks with High Representative Carl Bildt and top Bosnian government officials. US Assistant Secretary of State John Kornblum was also expected in Sarajevo in the afternoon. After the talks in Sarajevo, he would meet Bosnian Serb leader Momcilo Krajisnik in Pale. (hina) vm jn 141307 MET feb 97